Born August 1968 Jan Kempdorp, Northern Cape Province of South Africa. I married Dawie de Wet, we have two grown children and two grandchildren. I currently have a studio and manages an art gallery (since 2023) in Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa. I both paint and do glass work, which includes stained glass, hot glass and glass painting (since 2000).
My first experience as an artist was in 1998 when I received my first art class with artists Alain Nortje in Centurion who introduced me to all art mediums and styles. Art teachers from whom I received training include Leon Fourie (fine arts – super realism by copying old masters), abstract artist Ruth Walter and currently international artist Johan Conradie where I am free to explore my own interests and am trying to find my own voice and style. As an artist I can do both realism, abstract and contemporary paintings. I am influenced by artists Tomaas, Johan Conradie, Alex Kanevsky, Christian Hook, Valery Koslyakov, Salvador Dali, Renoir, Rembrand, Pissaro, Manet and Monet to name but a few.
I prefer to paint with oil but also work in acrylic (both brush, palette knife and with any object I can find). I sometimes use computer programs to manipulate and enhance objects to use as forestudies and am exploring merging computer skills and programs such as procreate, Adobe Affinity and photoshop, among others, with traditional techniques to produce innovative and interesting art. I would love to explore glass painting techniques of the old masters to produce more modern works of art with an old masters’ flair. Apart from producing glass art pieces since 2000, I still have to incorporate glass and painting as a form of mixed media as soon as time affords me the luxury to experiment.
I love to travel and visited the Venice Biennale in 2018 and hope to do so again in 2024. When travelling I not only visit museums, historical buildings and cathedrals (I love architecture and history), I try to experience local culture and music. Apart from traveling through South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique, I also visited Italy, Israel, Netherland, Egypt, Hungary, Paris, Budapest, Bratislava and several other countries and places.
My motto in Life: If you can breathe and are willing you can learn!
Luckily today with not only books, but also through electronic media, online teaching and practical experience, a willing person can learn anything, and then keep at it to master it.